On South Plaza Island, sea lions breed all along the low lying northern coast. These sheer cliffs are home for swallow-tail gulls and the beautiful red billed tropic birds. The landscape is dominated by optunia cactus trees. A look under each tree reveals a land iguana patiently waiting for a succulent cactus pad to fall.

Buffalo, the second-largest city in New York State, sits at the eastern end of Lake Erie where the Niagara River begins its journey toward Niagara Falls. Once a powerhouse of American industry and trade, Buffalo thrived in the 19th and early 20th centuries as a major shipping and manufacturing hub, thanks to its strategic location along the Erie Canal and Great Lakes.

A lovely city between the Central and Western mountain ranges, it is known as the capital of salsa music and claims to be home to the most beautiful women in the world.

Red Sea beaches, world-class snorkeling and spectacular desert environments are all reasons to visit the port city of Aqaba, Jordan. Take a quick walk from the city's lovely waterfront promenade and behold its Old Town, which features the 14th century Mamluk Fort and the Aqaba Archaeological Museum.

Set on the edge of a vast harbor on Tasmania’s wild west coast, Strahan feels like a place shaped by both sea and story. Once a busy port serving nearby mining settlements, it still carries echoes of ships, timber yards, and hardworking crews who relied on the sheltered waters of Macquarie Harbour. Today, that same harbor is the starting point for journeys into remote landscapes, with boats gliding toward places that were once feared as much as they were relied upon.